The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the senior authority in Colombian foreign policy, and specifically the Multilateral Affairs Division, under a Vice Minister, is the political-level liaison with the multilateral treaties on environmental matters to which Colombia is a party.
The Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs Department leads the definition of Colombia's positions in the multilateral spaces of negotiation on environmental matters, and supports the task of implementing international commitments acquired by Colombia under multilateral treaties on environmental matters.
The work of the Environmental Affairs Coordination Desk is organized around three thematic areas:
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| Biodiversity | Climate change | |
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is political-level liaison with multilateral treaties on environmental matters to which Colombia is a party.
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Although Colombia generates only 0.37% of the world´s greenhouse-effect gases (GEG), this is a priority issue for the Government, and must be addressed urgently.
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| Chemicals | Fresh water and the Oceans | |
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Colombia has made its commitments evident to the international community in respect of the safe and sustainable management of chemicals and hazardous waste, based on the so-called "life cycle" focus.
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According to the most recent National Study of Water, Colombia´s yield of water is six times that of the world average, and three times the average for Latin America.
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| Desertification | The Global Environment Fund | |
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Desertification is understood to be the degradation of dry zones due to variations of climate and/or human activity.
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The Global Environment Fund (GEF) was set up in 1991, to provide donations and assistance in projects which contribute to the protection of "global environmental benefits".
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| Human settlements | United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) | |
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Colombia, aware of the accelerating trend towards urbanization in the world, has promoted its positioning on the international scene in a number of fora and organizations that work on this field.
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This is the senior of environmental authority at world level. UNEP has a mandate to evaluate the situation of the impact on the world environment, and the causes of environmental impacts.
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| Environmental Chapters in Free-Trade Agreements and Regional Mechanisms | ||
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The relationship between commerce and the environment covers matters of vital importance in the international scenario, such as climate change, the protection of the ozone layer, the elimination of toxic waste, soils, water resources, biodiversity, and the future of species in danger of extinction.
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